Austin leyden



(No Model.)

A. LEYDEN.

BAG FASTENER AND TAG HOLDER.

No. 353,456. Patented Nov. 30,1886.

J5 J? INVENTOR:

Nurth uf Smithvifla.

MAEDNWUN'TBUMERY RFD WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N, PETERSnPholmLIIMgmphzr. Washinglnfl. 04 Q is shown in edge view.

UNITED STATns PATENT. OFFICE.

AUSTIN LEYDEN, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

BAG-FASTENElR AND TAG-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 353356, dated November 30, 1886. Application filed September 1, 1886. Serial No. 212,412. no model.)

To all whom it may "concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN LEYDEN, of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Bag-Fastener and Tag, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bag-fasteners and tags adapted especially for use on mail-bags containing postalmatter of the second class, but applicable also to bags containing general merchandise; and the invention has for its object to provide simple, inexpensive, and efficient devices of this character.

The invention consists in certain novel fea- U tures of construction and combination of parts of the bag-fastener and tag and its arrangement with the bag and its fastening-cord, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a View of the month end of a bag held closed by my improved fastener, which Fig. 2 is a rear face view of the fastener. Fig. 3 is a front view thereof, showing the tag in the fastener. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on-tvhe line at m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top or edge view of the outer end part of the fastener, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the outer end of the fastener.

The metalface-plate A of the fastener is provided at one end with a loop or half-ring, a, through which passes a staple or eye, B, fixed, preferably, by means of a face-plate, b, and rivets to the mail or other bag 0 near its mouth. The bag is provided with a series of holes, through which a fasteningcord, D, is laced in the usual manner, and when the lacing-cord is drawn up tight, or rather when the mouth of the bag is drawn together on the cord, the cord is passed between a pair of lugs, E E, east on or fixed to the back face of the fastener-plate A, and thence the cord is passed over the concaved or hook-shaped ends of lugs F F, also fixed to the back of the plate A, the hooked ends of said lugs alternating at'opposite edges of the plate A, to .give a zigzag course to the cord, as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to prevent slip of the cord, or rather to hold the mouth of the bag closed on.the interlaced cord.

. After being passed over the hook end of the last or outermost lug, F, the cord D is drawn into a slot, g, extending up into the side g of an angle-plate, G, fixed to the main plate A. This part 9 of plate G stands about at right angles to the main plate A, and the part 9 of plate G projects inward over the'plate A, and is preferably connected to the outermost hooklug, F, thereby giving firm support to the angle-plate.

To the plate A, and within the angle-plate G, there is fixed a spring, preferably a platespring, H, of U form, and as the cord D is drawn over the last lug F and up into the slot 9 of the angle-plate, the spring clamps the cord between itself and the lug F, or the part of the angle-plate, or both parts F g", and prevents the cord D from slipping over the hooklugs F, or prevents the fastening from slipping outward from the closed bag along the cord.

The plate A is provided with a recess or pocket, 2', in which a tag or label, I, will be placed, and the plate has a face-recess, a, through which the directions on the face of the tag may be read, as will be understood from Fig. 3 of the drawings. The tag shown is a folded slip of paper having space on its inner face for any particular instructions or data. This tag, when used in the mail service to accompany mail-bags having my fastening and containing postal matter of the second class, will have written or printed on its inner face the name or number of the mail clerk or agent who has filled the bag; hence mistakes in making up or sorting the mails may be charged only to inefficient agents, and competent clerks will receive the credit due them for a proper performance of their duties; and by thus fixing responsibility for errors on the persons making them the efficiency of the postal service will be promoted. When bags having my improved fastenings are used for ordinary merchandise, the tags may contain special shipping directions, or may be invoices of the goods put up in the bags.

In a hollow box-like extension, a, of the plate A, at the back and outer end thereof, there is journaled transversely to the plates. shaft, J, one end of which is bent at a right angle, as at j, outside of the box a, which thus protects the shaft, while aflording bearings for it; and at its other end, outside of the box a, the shaft J carries fixedly a latchplate, K, which has two flat edges, 1 2, at right angles with each other, and against either of which edges the free end of a stiff plate or wire spring, L, acts to lock the shaft J in either of two positions, as presently-explained.

In the shaft J there is fixed a pin or stud, M, which is adapted to pass through a slot, m, made in the plates A G, at the point of junction of the plates, and to extend across the pocket 1; of the plate A, and when the shaftJ is turned to cause the stud M to cross the pocketi the bent part j of the shaft,which forms a handle by which to turn the shaft,will stand outside of the angle-plate G and across the cord-slot 9 thereof.

It is obvious, after the bagO is drawn upon the cord D to close it, and the cord is interlaced through or over the lugs E F, and is slipped or drawn up into the slot 9 of the plate G, and is clamped by the spring H, and the label or tag I is placed in the pocket 'i of the main plate J, that when the shaft J is turned into the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2, 4., and 5 of the drawings, and is so locked by the action of the spring L on the edge Z of the latch-plate K, .the handle 9' of the shaft will extend across the slot 9 to lock the cord D in the slot, and at the same time the pin or stud M on the shaft J will be turned across the pocket t of the plate A, in front of the tag I in the pocket, to lockit safely therein, however the fastening may be tossed about in handling the bag. A lug, g projecting from the outer face of the part g of the angle-plate G, stands outside of the bent handle portion j of the shaft J when the cord Dis locked by it in the slot g, and said lug g is a re-enforce or brace to the partj of shaft J, to prevent bending or breaking of it by strain of the cord D on it should the closed and fastened bag be handled by the cord.

To unfasten the bag, it is only necessary to turn the shaft J, so its part j lies against the back of the plate A, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,which will leave the slot 9 open, to allow the cord to be pulled from it, and at the same time released from the spring H and then unlaced from the hook-lugs F, and the bag may then be opened. When the shaft J is turned, as last described, the lug M will be turned back from behind the tag 1;

hence the tag may be removed without unfastening the bag-cord D, and for substitution of another tag having different directions, should it be desirable or necessary to do so. When the shaft J is turned to release the cord D, the shaft will be held in the dotted position by the action of the spring L on the edge2 of the latchplate K, as will readily be understood. The fastening-cord D passes through holes in the hasp-plate b, where it enters the material of the bag 0; hence the cord has no tendency to tear the bag where the fastening is attached to it.

The plate A of the fastening may be made in two parts, hinged together at the loop a, and held to each other atthe outer ends when closed by a spring-catch, ed, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings.

It is obvious that the hook-lugs cast with the plate A, to lace the fastening-cord D over, may be substituted by hooks of any approved design fixed in the main plate; but the cast lugs E F are cheaper and stronger, and therefore are preferable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a bag-fastener, of a plate, A, provided with a hook or hooks, over which the tightened bag-cord may be drawn, a plate, G, having a slot, g, to receive the cord, and a spring clamping the cord when it is drawn into said slot 9, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a bag-fastener, of a plate, A, provided with a hook or hooks, over which the tightened bag-cord may be drawn, a plate, G, having a slot, 9, to receive the cord, and an adjustable latch-bar, j, adapted to be turned across the slot 9 outside of the entered cord, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a bag'fastener, of a plate, A, provided with a hook or hooks, over which the tightened bag-cord may be drawn, a plate, G, having a slot, 9, to receive the cord, a spring clamping the cord when in slot 9, and an adjustable latch-bar, adapted to be turned across the slot 9 outside of the entered cord,

ICO

substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in a bag-fastener, of 'a plate, A, provided with a hook or hooks, over whichthe tightened bag-cord may be drawn, a plate, G, having a slot, 9, a shaft, J, having a bent arm, 9', adapted to be turned across the slot 9 and lock the cordtherein, alatch-plate, K, on the shaft, and a spring, L, acting on the plate K, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. The oombination,in a bag-fastener and tag, With a plate, A, having one or more hooks, over which the tightened bag-cord may be drawn, aplate, G, having a slot, 9, and alatchbar, j, adapted to be turned across the slot to confine the cord therein, of a lug, 9 on plate G, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, in a bag-fastener and tag, of a plate, A, having a pocket to receive a tag, and one or more hooks, over which the tightened bag-cord may be drawn, a plate, G, having a slot, 9, to receive the cord, and a shaft, J, j ournaled across the plate A, and having an arm, j, adapted to be turned across the cord-slot g, and said shaft also having a stud or pin, M, crossing the tag-pocket, to confine the tag therein. when the shaft-arm j crosses the slot 9, to confine the bag-cord therein, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, in a bag-fastener and tag, of a plate, A, having a pocket adapted to receive a tag, a shaft, J, having a stud, M,

adapted to be turned across the tag-pocket,

and a spring device holding the shaft and stud in position, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

8. A bag-fastenerand tag comprising a plate, A, adapted for attachment to a bag, and provided with a tag-holding pocket and a series of cord-receiving hooks, E F, an angle-plate, G, secured to plate A, and having a slot, 9, a cord, D, laced through the bag and'throngh or over the hooks E F, and entered into the slot g of the plate G, a spring, H, clamping the cord when it is in said slot, a shaft, J, having a bent arm, j, adapted to be turned across the cord-slot, a pin, M, on the shaft J, a latchplate, K, on the shaft J, and a spring, L, held to the plate A and bearing on the plate K, all substantially as described, and for the pur- Witnesses:

E. B. HooK, J. O. REYNOLDS. 

